While God has not stopped bombarding me with encouragement and ideas blasting the importance of persistence and endurance, the emotion action of love has started to come on strong.
Over the weekend, Ashley and I listened to 3 sermons by Timothy Keller on Marriage and on the drive back from Owensboro today, I listened to a sermon by Matt Carter on 1 Corinthians 13 – “The Love Chapter.”
A common theme repeated throughout our fun-filled weekend was the idea that love is not an emotion first and foremost…
Rather, it’s an action.
Keller said that it is a decision to be made that will be characterized as persistent (“…through thick and thin…”)
Love is shown most not when you are filled with the side-effect of butterfly stomachs and excited goose bumps, but when you are frustrated and filled with an angry pit instead.
The reason? It is simple (and even natural because we are selfish beings) to love somebody when you feel loved and your skin is jumping with glee, but if you can love somebody (patient, kind, not envy, not self-seeking, not hold any wrongs) when they have absolutely wronged you and you are madder than a Robin trying to protect her eggs, that is real love.
(And let me tell you, they get mad. I thought I was going to lose an eye this morning just walking out of my apartment!)
It is the conscious decision to push through those times and respond with a hug when you get a punch.
Carter said that anything not inspired by love is childish. The early Christians in Corinth failed their test of persistence as soon as it started getting difficult (ie people weren’t being as kind to them or they weren’t getting the glory they “deserved”).
He highlighted in his message that Jesus has told us, it is only going to get harder for us to love if we continue using earthly standards because more and more people are going to start punching and spitting.
Not to get you down, but Carter warned that if we are having a hard time loving now, we better buckle down because it is only going to get harder.
Think about Jesus – getting beaten literally, physically, emotionally, 100′s of times worse than we could imagine and yet as He was hanging on the Cross, he asked for forgiveness for those who had just beaten him to a temporary death.
Think about it again.
Now, next time someone bad mouths you, think of that, and respond with love.
What an opportunity!
I have been trying to focus every blank minute I get on how I can love – and I still stumble, but any other way, I’d be falling, not stumbling.
Are you still reasoning as a child?
How have you responded in love recently?
How have you seen an opportunity in hindsight to love that you missed out on?
ltlo
Jesus, who had been with God in heaven from the beginning of time, lost face with God, was separated from Him while on the cross, so that we could see Him FACE TO FACE when we go home. Thats action. Thats love.
p.s. great pic beautiful trees, look like Texas red buds.
You are absolutely right that it is an action and boy it sure is hard sometimes. Whenever I am faced with a situation that frustrates me and all I want to do is flip out, I try to remind myself to love for God and not for anybody else.
Not the person standing right in front of you who just ticked you off but act out of love for God and through His power.
This usually works for me….when I remember. Gotta stay God-Conscious!
[...] Learned a little bit more about Love [...]